Check strap for picker stick of loom



Feb. 11, 1958 J. c. cRocKER 2,822,823-

CHECK STRAP FOR PICKER STICK 0F LOOM Filed 001:. 17, 1956 L ull INVENTOR Jul-1N E ER'CICKER ATTORNEY United States Patent I 2,822,828 CHECK STRAP FOR PICKER STICK 0F LOOM John C. Crocker, Ware Shoals, S. C. Application October 17, 1956, Serial No. 616,501 4 Claims. (Cl. 139-161) The present invention relates to picker stick check straps for looms.

The check strap, in use, is generally in the form of an endless band which surrounds the picker stick and is used in association with some type of friction device, engaging the outer surface of the strap, to restrain the movement of the check strap under the propelling influence of the picker stick.

The check'strap is commonly formed from a unitary section of leather. The leather check strap is subjected in use to the pounding action of the rapidly oscillating picker stick, as well as to the abrasive efiect of the particular friction means engaging the outer side of the strap.

Leather exhibits the ideal qualities for use as the check strap, with the one exception that its resistance to abrasive wear or friction is not exceptionally good, and accordingly, the friction means engaging or rubbing the outer side of the strap soon causes excessive wear and deterioration of the strap, thus greatly reducing its effective life in use.

In the prior art, a number of attempts have been made to solve the above problems by providing picker stick check straps formed in whole or in combination with other materials of textile fabric, synthetic woven textiles or combinations of the above with rubber-like material or the like. The results with these check straps, where leather has been abandoned entirely, have not proven successful. One reason for this is due to the fact that the synthetic textile or textile and rubber types of straps exhibit a tendency after continued use to become limber or too flexible for proper functioning in conjunction with the picker stick upon theloom. Secondly, the above-mentioned prior art check straps have usually resulted in increased weight or thickness of the strap and a general departure from the conventional dimensions thereof, as compared to leather check straps, and-this has proven undesirable in that it frequently affects adversely the operation of the loom. Thirdly, most check strap installations require the opposite longitudinal edges of the strap to constantly frictionally engage or rub parts of the mounting bracket, and in the case of textile or woven straps, natural or synthetic, these rather quickly fray out at their longitudinal edges and soon become useless due to the rubbing contact with the check strap mounting bracket.

In the light of the above prior art experience, it has occurred to me to provide an improved picker stick check strap which will possess all of the advantages of leather, above-mentioned, and also eliminate the one disadvantage occasioned by the relatively poor abrasion resistant property of leather. Accordingly, my strap will also possess the advantages of certain prior art straps formed entirely of woven synthetic textiles or the like, while eliminating entirely the mentioned disadvantages thereof.

Briefly, my improved check strap comprises a unitary body portion formed entirely of leather and having conventional overall dimensions as to thicknesses and width, and also being of the usual weight, all of these factors 2,822,828 Patented Feb. 11, '1958 effecting somewhat the proper operation of the loom. My strap also comprises an insert of synthetic textile material or the like, recessed into the outer side of the strap and preferably flush with such outer side, for the purpose of withstanding the constant abrasive action of the friction means associated with the check strap in use.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved check strap in use upon a loom of one conventional type.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the improved checkstrap per se, in accordance with a prefered embodiment of the invention, part broken away.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary central vertical longitudinal section taken on line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a further perspective view of a check strap similar to Figure 2 but showing a slightly modified form of the invention.

Figure 6 is a perspective view on a reduced scale of a check strap of endless form, in accordance with another modification of the invention.

With continued reference to the drawings in detail, Figure 1, the numeral 10 designates the lay of the loom, 11 the shuttle box, 12 the shuttle, 13 the picker and 14 the picker stick, all of conventional construction and operation.

A bracket device 15 is rigidly secured to the lay 10, as shown, and forms a support and guide for my improved check strap shown generally at 16. The bracket device 15 includes upper and lower horizontal flanges 17 arranged close to and frictionally engaging and guiding the longitudinal edges 18 of the check strap 16 during the operation of the loom. The check strap 16 has its outer side frictionally engaged during the operation of the picker stick by a friction element or leaf spring 19, fixedly secured to the bracket device 15 by means of rigid arm means 20, Figure 1. Except for my check strap 16, the above loom parts in Figure 1 are all conventional and well known and are similar to the construction shown in United States Patent 1,341,941 to Skedgell. It might be mentioned here that the check strap 16 has been shown associated with a particular type check mechanism merely' for the purpose of illustration, and the check strap is adapted to serve equally well with various other picker stick check mechanisms having other types of friction devices than the spring 19 of Figure 1 and other bracket devices or mounting means for connecting the check strap with the loom lay.

With particular reference to Figures 2w 4 inclusive, the check strap proper comprises a strap body portion 21 formed of leather and being of the desired length to meet the operational requirements of the particular check mechanism with which it is used. The leather strap body portion 21 is rectangular in cross section, Figure 3, and

thick enough to provide sufficient body or stiffness tothe check strap and to impart to the same the proper weight and customary overall dimensions. The precise dimensions of the check strap may of course be varied somewhat as found desirable to meet the requirements of different looms and different picker stick check mechanisms, but the general proportions of the check strap.

shown in the drawings represent a preferred construction. The strap body portion 21 which is quite thick and heavy is provided near and inwardly of its opposite'ends receive the bolt means con:

with longitudinal slots 22 to ventionally employed for connecting together the opposite ends of the check strap in assembly upon the lo0m. for example, in;

Such conventional construction is shown, prior United States Patents 1,998,801 to Brown; 2,023,379

to Bullard and 2,435,749 to Lesesne. As previously 7 stated, the strap body portion 21 is of sufficient length to enable the check strap to be formed into a horizontal loop of the desired length to accommodate the movement of the picker stick, as in Figure l.

e The strap body portion 21 is provided in one side thereof with a continuous elongated longitudinal recess or groove 23, preferably rectangular in cross section and extending throughout the major portion of the length of the check strap, as shown. While the depth of the groove 23 may vary somewhat, it is preferred that the depth of the groove is somewhat less than one-half of the thickness of the strap body portion 21, and preferably approximately one-third of such thickness. The depth of the groove 23 is preferably uniform throughout its entire length, as is the width of the groove. As shown in Figure 3, the groove 23 is spaced equidistantly from and parallel to the longitudinal edges 18, and the Width of the groove is preferably equal to approximately one-half of the width of the strap body portion, although this width ratio may be varied considerably as desired, and it is desired not to limit the construction in this respect. At the same time, the groove 23 should be sufiiciently narrow in any event to provide relatively wide leather shoulder portions upon opposite sides of the groove 23 and between the groove and the longitudinal edges 18. It is these shoulder portions of leather which absorb the wear occasioned by the rubbing action of the edges 18 against the horizontal flanges 17 of the bracket device 15, and this particular construction prevents any fraying or unraveling of the longitudinal edges of the check strap, such as frequently occurs where the straps are formed entirely of Woven textile material or the like.

In the form of the invention shown particularly in Figures 2 to 4, the longitudinal groove 23 has its ends 24 terminating near and slightly inwardly of the openings 22, but it should be understood that the groove extends continuously throughout the major portion of the length of'the outer side of the check'strap.

The groove 23 is occupied and filled by a continuous elongated insert or strip 25 of woven synthetic textile material of a type having extremely high abrasion re sisting qualities, such as nylon or the like. Although nylon in the woven form is a preferred material for the abrasion resisting insert 25, it should be understood that other similar fibrous or textile materials, natural or synthetic and woven or unwoven, may be employed in the insert if desired. The material of the insert 25, in any event, should be such as to possess higher resistance to'abrasive wear than the leather body portion 21 and its other physical properties, such as flexibility, elasticity, weight, etc. should be such as not to interfere with the normal functioning of the leather check strap body portion.

The nylon insert 25 is preferably rectangular in cross section, as shown, and preferably entirely fills the groove 23 and extends for the entire length and width of the latter. The outer 'facebf the insert 25 is preferably flush with the corresponding face of the body portion 21, Figure 3, and flush with the leather shoulder portions on opposite sides of thegroove 23. The insert 25 is secured within the groove 23 either by lines of stitching 25 or by a layer 27 of cement applied to the bottom of the groove or by both'of these means, as shown.

The arrangement of the insert 25 on one side of the strap body portion 21 is such that it does not alter the size or thickness of the check strap or change its weight, flexibility, stiifness or other physical properties appreciably, and imparts to the improved check strap the advantageous qualities of leather, as well as the abrasion resisting qualities of the nylon, or the like, embodied in the insert.

In the use of the checkstrap 16, Figure 1, the insert 25 is arranged outermost when the check strap is formed into a loop and mounted upon the bracket device 15.

The leather shoulders or edges 18 are arranged for frictional guided contact with the flanges 17, and the nylon insert 25 absorbs the abrasive wear due to the constant rubbing action of the element 19 against the outer side of the strap. The picker stick 14 engages the inner side 28 of the check strap which is entirely leather. The check strap functions generally upon the loom like any other conventional check strap, except that it will have a much longer useful life due to the inclusion of the wear resistant insert 25. The presence of the insert 25 while greatly increasing the abrasion resistance of the check strap, will not alter its other physical properties, such as weight, thickness, body and flexibility, and the check strap will function generally in the manner of an all leather check strap which is generally the ideal material for the particular application. Also, there can be no fraying or unraveling of the longitudinal edges of the check strap, as frequently happens to all textile straps, because the edges 18 are leather.

In Figure 5, there is shown a slightly modified form of check strap 16, preferably identical in every way with the check strap 16, except that the groove 23 and the nylon insert 25' extend for the full length of the strap body portion 21' and through the opposite ends of the strap, as shown. In Figure 5, the slots 22' are formed through the insert 25' as well as through the strap body portion. All other parts are identical with those shown and described in connection with the first form of the invention, Figures 1 to 4, and the use or operation of the check strap 16' is the same as that described in connection with the first form of the invention. In Figure 6, a check strap 29 of the endless type is illustrated, and the construction in this respect is similar to the constructions shown, for example, in United States Patents 1,394,265, Andrews et al.; 2,435,749, Lesesne, and2,698,032, Bacon. In Figure 6, the leather body portion 30 of the check strap is endless, as shown, and the nylon insert or band 31 is also endless and extends for the entire length of the check strap, and is secured within an endless longitudinal groove 32 in the outer face of the check strap. As in the prior forms of the invention, the insert 31 has its outer face flush with the outer side of the strap body portion, and the insert is bounded on opposite sides by leather shoulder portions 33.. The endless strap 29 in cross section is identical in construction to that of the strap 16 as shown in Figure 3, and the same lines of stitching 26 and cement 27 are employed to secure the insert 31 Within the endless groove 32. All other parts are identical with those shown and described in connection with the prior forms of the invention.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or 'the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a loom, a picker stick check strap, said check strap comprising a'unitary relatively thick all leather body portion'provided in one side only with an elongated continuous longitudinal groove extending throughout the major portion of the length of the strap body portion, said groove being substantially narrower than the total width of the'strap body portion so as to provide leather shoulder portions and leather longitudinal edges upon the opposite sides of the groove, said leather shoulder portions having the thickness of said body portion, the depth of said groove being uniform and less than one-half of the thickness of said body portion, an insert of woven synthetic textile material disposed within and substantially filling said groove and being flush in said one side of the body portion and having high resistance to Wear caused by abrasion, and means for permanently securing said insert within said groove.

2. A loom check' strap for resisting the movement'of a picker stick comprising a leather strap body portion provided in its outer side only with a longitudinal groove, said groove extending throughout a major portion of the length of the strap body portion, and an insert of woven synthetic textile material having high resistance to abrasive wear secured within the groove and substantially filling the groove and having its outer surface substantially flush with said outer side of the leather strap body portion, said body portion having leather shoulder portions upon opposite sides of the groove adapted to frictionally engage parts of the check strap mounting means upon the loom and preventing fraying of the longitudinal edges of the check strap.

3. A loom check strap for resisting the movement of a picker stick comprising a leather strap body portion provided in its outer side only with a longitudinal groove, said groove extending throughout a major portion of the length of the strap body portion, and an insert of nylon secured within the groove and substantially filling the groove and having its outer surface substantially flush with said outer side of the leather strap body portion, said body portion having leather shoulder portions upon op- 6 posite sides of the groove adapted to frictionally engage parts of the check strap mounting means upon the loom and preventing fraying of the longitudinal edges of the cheek strap.

4. A loom check strap for restraining the movement of a loom picker stick comprising a leather strap body portion provided in one side thereof with a longitudinal groove, an insert of abrasion resistant material disposed within said groove and substantially filling it and being substantially flush with said one side of the strap body portion, whereby the thickness of thecheck strap and its overall dimensions are not altered by the inclusion of the insert, and lines of stitching securing said insert within said groove.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 93,364 Sterne Aug. 3, 1869 972,641 Poole Oct. 11, 1910 1,998,801 Brown Apr. 23, 1935 2,291,587 Howarth July 28, 1942 

